Drugstore Beauty Finds

My Cat Eyes Spy Jordana’s Fabulously Affordable $2.99 FabuLiner Bold Felt-Tip Liquid Liner

September 20th, 2013 by Karen 5 Comments

Jordana Fabuliner Bold Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner — Jordana’s Fabuliner Bold Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner

I feel like my makeup universe has been out of balance lately — like something’s off kilter, out of whack.

I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with liquid liner…

And Tom Ford.

I haven’t gotten over the price of Tom’s Eye Defining Pen in Deeper, and I don’t know if I ever will.

I mean, it’s $55…

WHICH IS CRAZY! But other than that, it’s almost perfect in every single way. The whole universe is confused…

There has to be a drugstore liquid liner equivalent out there to restore the makeup planetary balance.

Maybe it’s Jordana’s new $2.99 Fabuliner Bold Felt-Tip Liquid Eyeliner.

Available now at Walgreens in a single shade called Black, it’s long-wearing, deep and intense, without any red or blue undertones, and it dries to a slightly shiny finish.

It also dries fast! I’m talking Roadrunner fast, like the moment it touches my lids, BAM! It’s dry within seconds.

I love that I can plop it on, blink, and not have to worry about it transferring into my crease. It’s instant cat eye gratification, and I don’t even have to wear primer, since it lasts like a mutha’.

And then there’s the tip.

THE TIP! It’s firm and felt, kind of like an art marker, but…

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Three Cheers for the Three Tiered Sonia Kashuk Floral Print Triple Train Case!

September 13th, 2013 by Karen 16 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Foral Triple Train Case — Sonia Kashuk’s ferociously fabulous Floral Print Triple Train Case (and my new snow leopard sweater from Target)

The new Sonia Kashuk Roll Up Valet bag might be better at keeping makeup and brushes separated and organized…but sometimes you don’t care about organization and just want to bring along a sh*tload of stuff!

Well at least I do. 🙂

I have a confession — packing light does not come naturally to me (unlike my knack for tracking down new Kevin Federline-esque fedoras).

It’s actually really hard. Whenever I fly somewhere, I pare down because I have to, but dangnabbit! — those carry-on luggage restrictions sure cramp my style.

Now, when traveling by car, since I can bring however much I want and don’t have to haul my cookies around an airport, I tend to go a little cray-cray in the makeup packing department.

Let me put it this way: I’m the girl with five different face powders and six bronzers at any given time, and oh — what’s that? You want to borrow a glittery nail polish? Can do. I’m sure I have at least two or three of them with me…

It’s time like those, when I can bring however much I want and indulge in my makeup hoarding tendencies, that Sonia Kashuk’s Floral Print Triple Train Case ($19.99) is mah jam.

New for fall, the three-tiered zippered travel case has become my go-to bag whenever I want to bring along hella blushes, powders and/or eyeshadows.

Bulkier products like face powders fit nicely into the bottom tier, which is the deepest level of the bag, and when I stand them up in two rows, the bag fits about 20…

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I’m Rolling Deep With Sonia Kashuk’s $19.99 Roll Up Valet Makeup Bag

September 5th, 2013 by Karen 22 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Roll Up Valet — Sonia Kashuk’s fantabulous Roll Up Valet ($19.99)

I love trying out new makeup bags in the hope of finding THE ONE BAG that will rule them all, Highlander-style, and the bag I brought with me to Vegas this week, the $19.99 Roll Up Valet by Sonia Kashuk, just may be that one!

Truth be told, I never thought I’d ever want a spare/backup makeup bag. Backup lipsticks and eyeshadows, sure — but a backup makeup bag?

Well, yes. Sonia’s Roll Up Valet is without a doubt one of the best makeup bags I’ve ever owned. It’s like your own personal makeup admin assistant, keeping everything organized, and it’s compact and lightweight, too.

From the outside, it’s a cute bag with a handle and a snap closure, but unroll it, and it turns into a magic carpet!

Okay, not really… 🙂

It opens to reveal four separate, see-through zippered compartments, which make it easy to find the products within.

I keep brushes in one of the compartments, my face makeup (foundation, blush, bronzer, etc.) in another, eye makeup in the third and lip products in the fourth. With this beautiful bag, I don’t have to rut around in the dark, or dump everything out on a counter, to find what I’m looking for.

I also like how it lies flat when it’s open. Perfect for tabletops.

Better still, it couldn’t be a whole lot easier to clean, and it only costs $20!

The new Sonia Kashuk Roll Up Valet: what fits inside — It fits all of this, with room to spare!

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Like Gatorade for Your Lips, New Mega Moisturizing Sonia Kashuk Satin Luxe Lip Colours in Pinky Beige and Spiced Berry

August 30th, 2013 by Karen 16 Comments

Wearing the new Sonia Kashuk Satin Luxe Lip Color in Spiced Berry ($9.99, available now at Target)

Mark my words! Come hell or high water! I AM GOING TO TARGET TO BUY THAT CAT LADY SWEATER TODAY!!

I’ve had it on my to-do list for… Heck, I don’t know how long it’s been on there. At least a week. El Hub’s car has been in the shop, so he’s been taking my Mazda to work, which has left me at home with Tabs.

Not that I mind (except for the sweater).

But I’m mobile again. Got my car back, so I can run a few errands this afternoon. Tabs needs gravy (Seriously, he really does. There isn’t a can left in the house.), and I need that sweater from Target.

When I’m there, I’m gonna swing by the Sonia Kashuk section to see if they have her Satin Luxe Lip Colours with SPF 16.

Babe, have you tried these before? I’m kicking myself for not getting on the train sooner because they’re kind of the sh*z. I’ve been wearing the two newest shades in the fall collection, Spiced Berry and Pinky Beige, off and on for the past couple of weeks and lovin’ it.

Sonia Kashuk Satin Luxe Lip Color in Pinky Beige and Spiced Berry — See the colors at the bottom of the tubes? Makes it so easy to find whichever shade I’m looking for.

Sonia Kashuk Satin Luxe Lip Colour SPF 16

Oh, yeah. And they’re less than 10 bucks ($9.99 to be exact). The buttery, featherweight formula feels almost exactly like a $22 MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick to me, and they’re super duper smooth, so there’s none of that annoying business where the color settles into the lines on my lips.

More to love

They’re unscented and unflavored.
Contain SPF 16.
Last from 2-3 hours, which isn’t bad for something this lightweight.
And each tube has that see-through part, which makes it easy to find the shade I’m looking for at a glance.

OK, but are they worthy of a precious permanent place in your purse?

I think so…but my definition of “permanent” is more like long-term temporary. 🙂

If they do deserve that kind of love, it’s on account of how moisturizing they are — like we’re in the desert, and our Jeep Wrangler just stalled off-road 20 miles from the nearest service station, and then you apply one of these, and it’s like a giant bottle of Gatorade for your lips.

Yeah, that moisturizing.

If your pout gets crazy dry and flaky like mine does, or if you travel a lot by plane (can’t stand that recycled air!) or live somewhere with very low humidity, I think you’ll appreciate it.

Plus, the colors are totally on point for fall.

Pinky Beige

Pinky Beige just might be the perfect creamy nude. Not too cool nor warm, it’s medium coverage and massively low maintenance. You could probably pair it with any color smokey eyes — black, gray, bronze, green, blue — no problem at all. Hands down, it’s one of the most flexible, affordable lip colors you could add to your makeup bag this fall.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Spiced Berry

Spiced Berry’s shimmery finish caught my eye immediately. It’s got good glitter, ya know? Not that cheer champ stuff, but the kind of glitter that goes great with sleek black dresses, patent pumps and dainty gold jewelry.

If you like vampy lip looks or think you might like them but have yet to give ’em a try, Spiced Berry could be a good place to start.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Swatches (for reference, I’m an NC42)

Sonia Kashuk Satin Luxe Lip Color in Pinky Beige Swatch — Pinky Beige

Sonia Kashuk Satin Luxe Lip Color in Spiced Berry Swatch — Spiced Berry

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Keep Your Eyes on Neutral Shimmer With Sonia Kashuk’s New “Eye on Neutral Shimmer” Eye Couture Palette

August 28th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral Shimmer — The Sonia Kashuk Eye Couture palette in Eye on Neutral Shimmer

Should you ever wake from a moment of reverie with your eyes closed and a big grin on your face as you cradle the new $19.99 Eye Couture palette in Eye on Neutral Shimmer to your bosom in the Sonia Kashuk section of your favorite Target store, I completely understand.

You see, I too have a weakness for shimmery taupes, grays, golds and browns.

Sonia Kashuk Eye Coutre in Eye on Neutral Shimmer — It’s easy to keep your eyes on a palette this sharp…

Sure, duochrome pink-to-purple shadow singles with rainbow glitter seem more exciting at first, but they’re like quick sugar fixes (the novelty wears off fast). Unlike Luna Bars and the Eye on Neutral Shimmer palette, they aren’t really designed for long-term sustenance.

That’s why I hold neutral palettes like this near and dear to my heart.

New for fall with 12 pans of powder shadow in shimmery neutral shades, these color temps are just right — neither too cool nor warm, and should flatter a wide range of skin tones from light to dark.

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12 Pans of Shimmer Shine in the Sonia Kashuk Limited Edition “Jewel of an Eye” Eye Couture Palette

August 27th, 2013 by Karen 55 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Jewel of an Eye — The current apple o’ my eye: the $19.99 Eye Couture Palette in Jewel of an Eye from Sonia Kashuk

With autumn about to make its big debut, what’s one way to stay on trend without breaking the bank?

The Sonia Kashuk Limited Edition “Jewel of an Eye” Eye Couture Palette

Perhaps you’ve already stocked up on fall staples over the summer — a chic red lipstick, a black liquid liner, a deep plum (and) or berry gloss — and are saying to yourself, “Whee!” and asking, “What else can we put in there?”

Throw some jewel-toned shadows into the mix

Ya know, for emerald, amber, amethyst and sapphire smokey eyes. All are so, SO apropos with knee-high boots, tweed blazers and snuggly, chunky knits.

Ah… I can almost hear the leaves crunching beneath my feet and Tabs whining because of how chilly it is outside (too chilly to go for his daily walk). Maybe we should get matching turtlenecks — my cat and I — because that’s what I really need — to give my neighbors another reason to think I’m a crazy cat lady. 🙂

As far as fall makeup, I suppose we could hunt and peck for jewel-toned duos and trios, or spend an arm and a leg searching for “the perfect combo,” but who has time for all that?

Try this: tell your hubby/honey/Ryan Gosling that you’ll be back in 10 minutes, because we’re going to Target to check out Sonia Kashuk’s new “Jewel of an Eye” Eye Couture Palette ($19.99).

Okay…make that 30 minutes. We both know that Target is a time warp. We’ll never get out of there in less than 15.

12 pans of shimmer

This 12-pan palette of intense, shimmery shadows pulsates with possibilities for trendy jewel-toned looks, and it’s RAD.

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A Fall Berry That Fits All: Covergirl’s Affordable Lipslick Smoochies Lip Balm in Luv U

August 22nd, 2013 by Karen 7 Comments

Covergirl Lipslicks Smoochies Lip Balm Luv U — Wearing Covergirl Lipslicks Smoochies Lip Balm in Luv U ($5.99) on my lips

Complete with a convenient see-through cap, so you can quickly pick it out in a crowd (and won’t have to spend DAYS rifling through the other lippies in your purse to find it), a universally flattering soft shine and sheer coverage, gorgeous and affordable Covergirl Lipslick Smoochies Lip Balm in Luv U goes from the office to date night without skipping a beat.

This berry balm is a snazzy solution to the question, “If I want an effortless lip look, how can I update my makeup bag for fall without breaking the bank?”

Only thing is, you have to be cool with a 1-2 hour wear time. And a waxy flavor and scent, as Luv U has ’em. Luckily, both fade pretty quickly (within about 10 minutes).

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Why Maybelline’s $4.99 Fit Me Blush in Light Rose Will Have You Blushing

August 22nd, 2013 by Karen 5 Comments

Maybelline's Fit Me Blush in Light Rose — For gals who love the look of barely-there blush, there’s Maybelline’s Fit Me Blush in Light Rose ($4.99)

3 things I brought home with me from Kauai…

Angry red mosquito bites. OMG! SO ITCHY! The skeeters came out in force whenever the trade winds subsided.
A tan, despite regularly slathering myself with SPF 55.
A pair of skinny jeans that had previously fit me better before the trip… 🙂

Yeah, I may have gone a little overboard with the french fries. And the shave ice. And the ice cream. And the —

Whatev! I was on vacation.

But now that I’m back, I want to get fit, like this blush by Maybelline.

It’s called Fit Me Blush in Light Rose… Get it? Fit Me? Fit?

Sorry! Weak pun. I’m still a little jet-lagged.

Maybelline Fit Me Blush Light Rose — Maybelline’s Fit Me Blush in Light Rose ($4.99)

Every time I see the word “Fit” on this sheer matte neutral pink blush’s cover it reminds me that I should probably go for a run to start working off all of those bowls of saimin I had (it’s a noodle soup like ramen, only taken to the next level with lots of delicious toppings).

Along with acting as a gentle reminder to get my butt moving, the blush also leaves my cheeks with the same soft pink post-workout flush I get after sprinting through the finish of a 30-minute treadmill sesh…except without the heavy breathing and perspiration.

By comparison, it’s effortless.

When all I want is a basic pink flush — something that won’t compete with my eye or lip makeup — Light Rose hits the spot.

Like Maybellinne’s other Fit Me Blushes, it’s very sheer, so if you grab it expecting NARS-caliber color, you might be disappointed. I really have to build it up in layers to see the color clearly on my skin.

Maybelline Fit Me Blush Light Rose Swatch — Three layers of Light Rose

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